


No Man's Paradise

by milkbag_03



Category: Banana Bus Squad, The Misfits (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mutation, NSFW, Post-Nuclear War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 17:25:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16748392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkbag_03/pseuds/milkbag_03
Summary: In a world left ruined from a nuclear war, people attempt to pick up what is left of their ruined lives, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle.But with desperate people attempting to rebuild their own Utopia, surviving seemed more important than sticking together. Soon, everyone was at each other's throats, trying to see who would win, who would reach the top.This was no place to rest, no place to start over.This was no man's paradise.





	1. Day : 0

Humans are like snowflakes falling from the sky.

 

They are unique in every way, special,  _ beautiful _ .

 

They are like the stars in the sky, millions filling up the darkness of the universe and lighting it up in a bright, beautiful flash of thousands of colors. Some big, some small. Some bright, some dull. However, deep inside we are the same. Red flesh wraps around pristine white bones, forming and shaping a human being who is given the opportunity to do whatever they want in the universe. 

 

There are those who take the path to happiness, and those dirty, evil humans who do nothing but hurt others. With darkness growing in their soul and engulfing them, leading them to chew off the red flesh and let sacred, metallic blood stain bright green grass. But as much as we would want to get rid of those humans, we cannot.

 

They help shape the world into what it is. Let there be light and dark, let people chose. What the world is today is nothing but our own hands at work, our own opinions and thoughts and dreams. It would take years to try and break down the dreams of us humans, to destroy our emotions and make us numb to the horrors of the world. We think of it as just a mere thought, something that can easily be blown off like the seeds from a mature dandelion, white and pure and simply alluring.

 

They protect us against the monsters outside. The monsters trying to harm us, kill us, make us  _ fear _ . A monster is not that that lies under your bed, or lives in your darkest nightmares. The monsters in this story are more than what you think, what you dream. They are vicious, and like evil humans, rip the flesh off milky bones and strip us of our identity. The erase who we are, who we want to become.

 

They destroyed the world and left it bare, left it up to humans to rebuild it.

 

But how could they? How could they rebuild such a beautiful place from scratch, when half of the population barely survived? They can’t, and they won’t.

 

It’ll take years for them to bring it back to normal, and even more for everyone to be sane. Free from nightmares, free from the monsters.

 

But how could they free themselves from such a sin when the monsters were none other than ourselves?


	2. Day : 547

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> starting right off with the angst lmao

The hot summer air was still. Not a soul moved in the beating sun, not the wind, not the birds. There was nothing. The heat was hell, scorching and unforgiving on the man's pale skin that glowed a painful red from the sunburn he was forced to endure.

 

He moved a ripped backpack further up his shoulder, eyes squinting in the light as he continued walking on abandoned sidewalks. The surrounding buildings towered like giants, their shadows heavy and dormant, a guise to hide the true horrors the city had witnessed. The man sighed and found the nearest shade, plodding towards the empty alleyway and resting against the cool brick wall.

 

Green-grey eyes examined the wall before him, covered in drying blood and a few used bullets on the ground. He could practically hear the screams ringing in his head, pungent wails and pleas echoing in the cold alleyway. He shook his head to rid himself of the screams and didn't react when a gentle hand was placed on his face.

 

“Craig?”

 

He stared down at the pretty girl before him, who's round glasses were cracked, and her cheeks hollowed and covered with dirt. Her hair was a tangled mess, and in need of a desperate cut, but in his eyes, she was still beautiful. He forced out a small smile and placed his own hand atop hers, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss against bandaged fingers.

 

“Yes, my love?”

 

“How are you feeling today?”

 

“Better.”

 

She knew he was lying, that he hid his true harrowing pain from her. But she didn't bring it up, as much as it gnawed at her, begged her to ask. She had heard the same answer over and over for the last 2 years. And to say they were both simply tired was a laughing joke. They were drop dead _exhausted_ , ready to accept the numbing darkness every night or time they were granted a break. They had been getting better, but after supplies started to once again deplete, they were forced to trudge through a nuclear wasteland, in search of anything they could use.

 

They had to act quick, so they didn't have to repeat what happened the last time. His heart still ached with the memory of his friend dying right before his eyes, no one having any sliver of power to try and prevent such a tragic loss. It ached more remembered his fiancee's shrill cries of agony as she was given the news, not even a week before their impromptu wedding. Craig's hand slowly left the girl's as he moved away gently, eyes trained down as he started walking.

 

“Sami? Do you. . do you ever regret it?”

 

“Regret what?”

 

“Regret that night. The night Felix died. Do you?”

 

Sami frowned as she slowly nodded, knowing full well the torturous feeling he bottled up. Without even having him face her, she knew he was holding back angry tears, salty and warm against his sweaty face. She shuffled towards him slowly, gently letting her fingers run against his arm.

 

“There was nothing you could've done, Craig. Nothing. It was a simple matter of when at that point.”

 

“You don't understand. I led him to his own death. If I had just said no, told him we should head back. . he would have still been here. . he would have been able to marry Marzia. . it's all my fault. .”

 

“There's been other deaths. It's not like you could have prevented it. We all have it for crying out loud, Craig! Some of us just. . have it worse than others. Some recover, others die, and the rest. . him dying was better than the side effects of the radiation. You saw what happened to Marcel.”

 

“But he _lived_.”

 

The sun shone brighter and the heat more intense. They were walking in hell, beads of dirt sweat dripping down the side of their faces as the tension rose just like the temperature. Sami’s eyes grew hard behind cracked glass as she walked past him, not caring to turn around as she threw over her shoulder,

 

“Things are different, whether you like it or not. Remember, you’re not the only one who lost a close friend. We’ve got to grow up. It’s the only way to survive.”

 

He watched her retreating form and looked down at the stained pavement, hand reaching into his pocket to pull out a small ring. Craig stared at the small thing resting between callused fingers and placed it back in his safe pocket as he followed after her. He couldn't do that to her, not yet at least.

 

They continued walking for miles on end, the scorching sun burning their backs and moving the dry dirt around them, sticking to their skin and creating a layer of grime and decay. After what seemed like endless hours, they reached a large fort built from scraps of metal, most taken off from cars and different buildings.

 

It was huge. The tall buildings loomed like bats above the tiny humans, their shadows dark and haunting, and the land covered in dirt and waste. And that was just the outside.

 

Underground was almost a whole city, built from scratch during the war and put in use after the first bomb fell. They were lucky to even be there, for it filled up quicker than anyone anticipated. Many were turned away after just a few days, leading them to try and find their own way to survive. Those who were turned away believed that it was a safe haven, shielded from the chemicals outside. But to those that stayed thought differently.

 

It was hell down there.

 

There was no ruler. No leader, no president, no king or dictator. Crime ruled the underground city, any and everything legal, causing fear and panic to rule the city. The only people with any kind of control were the people placed at the gates, who guarded the entrance to the city and were in charge of keeping track of who came and went, and of accepting or rebuffing anyone. Besides that, everyone else was a danger to themselves. The most dangerous time was night time, echoing screams ringing across the city as people were mugged, jumped, killed, every bad thing you could possibly think off.

 

Luckily, the couple shared a house with some other friends, _family_ , who had each other's backs no matter what. They used to be bigger, used to have more trust in each other.

 

That was long ago.

 

Since then they had broken up, split between three main different houses, the fourth being Jared and John's friends’ house. Craig and Sami had broken off to the second house, built into two floors and painted a dull white colour that was in desperate need of a second coating. It was small, leading people to share a room, but it was better than nothing.

 

As they neared the heavy metal doors, they stopped before a line and whistled a strange tune, the doors slowly swinging open and letting them in. As they stepped inside, a man with an AK stopped them, eyes cold and unforgiving as he stared.

 

“Stay your names, ranks, and district.”

 

“Craig Thompson. Third level scavenger, east city district.”

 

“Sami Meyers. Second level scavenger, east city district.”

 

A woman on a tablet pulled up their information on a glitchy holographic screen before them, taking a quick scan of their faces before nodding to the man. He stepped to the side and let them pass into the upper city, both heading to the 'store’ to exchange some of the things they found for food, clothing, and medicine. They passed merchants who laughed at jokes their buyers told, watched little kids chase each other through the stalls, passed a young teenage couple who strolled by holding hands in their “best” clothing. Sami smiled at them and threw a glance at Craig, letting her smile falter as she saw the unreadable expression on his face.

 

Before she could say anything, they reached the merchant's post, who was busy with something under the counter to notice the couple. They waited a few moments before Craig shook his head and rung the bell on top of the counter as loud as he could. The man under flinched backward, hitting his head with the underside of the counter and cursing heavily at the pain as they held their head. Dark green eyes met green-grey ones, going through different emotions as they rubbed their noggin.

 

“Nice to see you again, David.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, nice to see ye too. Good evenin’ to ye too Sami. What brings ye 'round here anyways?”

 

“Trading. How's everyone doing?”

 

Craig brought his backpack up the table and pushed it towards the Irishman, watching as he emptied the old bag onto his table and examined his findings.

 

“Everyone's fine. Saw Brian a few days ago, he's still recoverin’ ye know. Surgery couldn't save his eye, and he's been mopping ever since. Ye should try visiting him sometime, cheer 'im a little bit.”

 

“Maybe I'll drop by when the others aren't there. You know how they feel about me.”

 

“They feel as if you betrayed us all? Doesn't really matter to me, we're all focking idiots anyways. Stubborn, naive idiots.”

 

In the end, he took half of the bountiful findings they had found in exchange for 3 weeks worth of rations, clothing, feminine products for the ladies of the house, and a medium-sized medkit. With a final goodbye, and some slight persuasion from David to visit their old friends, they were off to the underground, passing through the metal gates and onto the gravel covered ground. Smoke rose into the cold air as they walked down filthy streets, passing people who looked at then with envy at their belongings. 

 

Sami stuck close to Craig, slipping her hand onto his arm and gripping it tightly. The older man shielded her from the dangers, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to make himself look bigger as they reached the dim metro station and waited on the dirty platforms for the next train. It was quite, save for the quiet murmurs of the people around them and the steam rising from nearby shops. The light which illuminated the platform was old, shining off a dark mossy green as the train rumbled nearby. 

 

It came to a stop before them and its old doors screeched as they slid open, allowing the passengers inside the musty smelling carts. They ended up sitting next to the large windows, watching the city speed by in the dingy light. Soon, they exited and walked the rest of the way to their home, being greeted by yelling and laughter from the living room. Craig gave Sami a look, to which she shrugged her shoulders and placed the backpack on the counter in the kitchen. Hanging her coat by the door, she entered the living room and a smile made its way to her lips as she watched two girls on the ground giggling, two other males glaring at the UNO cards stacked on the table.

 

“You really saved a plus fucking four for the end?  _ Again?! _ What's wrong with you, Simone?!”

 

“Hey, you guys reversed and put down a wild card last round! It's only fair! Plus, not our fault you and Scotty suck ass.”

 

“You shut your mouth, Chrissy. At least I wasn't whining the whole damn time  _ “Marcel, stop bullying me!” _ ”

 

Chrissy flipped both males off as she grinned cheekily, wrapping her arm around Simone's waist and pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. Marcel huffed and pouted at Scotty, who gave him a lopsided smile and gently kissed his forehead. He mumbled something about Marcel needing to stop whining, only to get the air knocked out of his lungs as dark-skinned male jabbed his side. Sighing, the older stood up and turned to the door, screaming and staggering back when seeing Sami standing there.

 

“Holy mother of god, when the fuck did you get back?”

 

“Just right now. I was gonna tell you guys, but you seemed to be pretty preoccupied.”

 

Marcel chuckled and walked past Sami and into the kitchen, where Craig was busy putting the food away. The british man yelled a small hello over his shoulder as he placed the cans on the shelves, leaving them when the older man called him over. He stood by the large canister were water was stored, cup in hand as he looked at the taller.

 

“Can you open the valve please? Scott closed it yesterday night to keep it from freezing.”

 

Craig stared at the bandaged stump that used to be Marcel's left arm, the only thing left being from his elbow up. He remembered the day they performed surgery, the day it was removed due to it rotting away from the infection he caught from the radiation after the bombs. He remembered Scotty trying to cheer him up, but immediately breaking down in Chrissy's arms as he exited the room. Simone wasn't much better, refusing to eat and only wanting to stay in the room with her childhood best friend. 

 

She used to lay next to him on the bed, resting her head on his good shoulder as she traced patterns on his shirt whilst Scotty laid his forehead on his chest. Chrissy sat at the foot of the bed, silently crying and wiping them away before they could notice as she told stories way into the night. They tried whatever they could to cheer him up, to make him smile.

 

He refused for months on end, and refused to look at any mirrors. It took him nearly a whole year to finally,  _ finally  _ look in the mirror and see himself. Marcel cried for hours, blaming himself, the world, screamed at the heavens and hells and the gods themselves. Alas, he calmed down and slept the rest of the day away, surprising them the next morning as he walked into the kitchen with the biggest smile they had seen

Shaking the memory out of his mind, Craig nodded with a bright smile and turned the water back on, taking the cup from Marcel's hand and filling it. Both males sat at the kitchen table, catching up before suddenly being interrupted by loud banging on the door, followed by warning bells. They wailed throughout the city, their shrill cries terrifying and ominous. Scotty rushed to the door and looked through the peephole, as the rest piled into the hallway and stared at him.

 

“Scotty, who is it? What's happening?”

 

“It's Luke!”

 

Throwing open the door, the man came face to face with a tall male, who's ginger beard looked recently cut and the bags under his eyes popped out against his pale skin. He was panting, sweat dripping down his forehead as he struggled for air.

 

“Fuck, guys. . I. . we. .”

 

“Jesus, Luke, breathe!”

 

Taking a deep breath, the North Carolinian walked inside and shut the door, exhaling heavily as he looked up into their terrified faces.

 

“It's David."


	3. Day: 547.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i should've been studying for a test but instead I wrote this lmao

“It's David. He just collapsed out of nowhere, and Tyler's freaking out. He called us to let us know but the power went out when he was trying to call you. To make things worse, we're under lockdown. If we want to get to their house before the guards come out, we need to start moving.”

 

“How? We just saw him no more than an hour ago!” exclaimed Sami, her eyebrows etched in worry as Craig nodded in agreement.

 

“They don't know! Jaren's friends are doctors and they're heading over as we speak.”

 

Craig rushed to get the keys to their truck whilst Chrissy rushed to the basement to grab her and Scott's shotguns. The group rushed outside and piled into the car, Luke snatching the keys from Craig's hand as he powered the old car on faster than any of them could've. They pulled out of the driveway and drove through the dirt roads in a frenzy, the people in the back watching through tinted windows as heavily armored jeep insurgents drove out of warehouses and blocked different streets.

 

Luke took a sharp turn and entered a narrow alleyway, driving as quickly as possible until he reached the other end, just barely avoiding a jeep speeding by. They drove until they reached Tyler’s house, just in time too as they closed both ends of the street off and prevented anyone from leaving. Sneaking inside with their heads ducked and coats over their heads, they barged in and slammed closed the door behind them, locking it and heading into the living room where others waited in worry. A male with a dark red hoodie paced the floor, hands behind his back as his brows scrunched in worry.

 

“Lui!”

 

The male quickly looked up at the mention of his name, eyes slightly lighting up as the others rushed towards him. He plopped on the couch and sighed, running both hands through his hair as Luke was quick to sit beside him and place a gentle hand on his shoulder. Lui gave him a half smile as he rubbed his eyes, eyeing Craig and the rest tiredly. From beside the couch, a tall male with piercing blue eyes had his arms crossed, looking at the other group from his peripheral vision. Craig cleared his throat and turned to Sami, gently whispering as Simone and Chrissy asked Lui if David was upstairs.

 

“Sami, go with the others and check up on David. I'm staying here to. . talk some things out with the guys.”

 

“You sure you'll be okay?” she asked, placing her hand on his cheek and looking up at him with worry. He smiled and leaned down to peck her lips, nodding and patting her hand gently. Sami smiled back and left with the two girls, walking up the creaky stairs and to the room David was in. Sighing, Craig turned back to the taller male leaning against the couch, crossing his arms and eyeing him up and down.

 

“Tyler, you haven’t changed a bit.”

 

“Neither have you three. Come on, follow me.”

 

“Where?” asked Marcel, rubbing his stump which started aching from the cold that seeped past the jacket he wore. Tyler motioned to the door under the stairs and waited for Luke and Lui before crossing the room and pulling open the creaky door. A small bulb emitted a gold light onto more stairs heading down, which they took to reach a brightly lit basement.

 

In the middle of the room was a large pool table, with couches and beanbags scattered on the left side facing a projection screen large enough that it nearly covered the huge wall. A projector was nailed to the ceiling, with speakers wired around the room so it would fill the space up with sound. Old consoles and games rested upon a bookshelf nearly bursting from salvaged movies and books, which pooled onto the carpeted floor beneath their feet. Two men sat before the screen on a single bean bag, arguing playfully and laughing as they played GTA V together. They only turned when Tyler cleared his throat, their eyes wide and sparkling with mischief.

 

“Oh hey, you’re b-back Luke!” the taller male besides the Asian man stood with a wide, goofy grin, a chipped and dirty Jason mask resting around his neck. Luke smiled back and pulled the man into a hug, patting his back as they pulled away. The man with the mask turned to Craig with the same grin on his pale feature as Craig smiled back.

 

“Hey, Jon.”

 

“What's up, man? I h-haven't seen you in a while!”

 

The Asian man snorted at the older man's stutter as he shuffled up to Jonathan, a goofy grin on his pretty features. Whilst Jon was busy saying hi to everyone else, he met Craig's gaze and his smile faltered, eyes lowering to look at his mismatched socks. Jonathan came back and swung an arm around his shoulders, bringing him closer to his side. He gave the British man a softer, apologetic smile as Craig looked away and rubbed his arm.

 

“Come on, Evan, let's play some more games.”

 

Before they could turn around, Luke stopped them and shook his head, motioning with his thumb behind him.

 

“I suggest you turn the console off. The doctor's gonna check us to see if we have it.”

 

“Have what?”

 

Lui, Tyler, and Luke all exchanged a knowing look as they nodded towards the couch, where they waited for everyone to be seated before one of them was sent out to grab the rest of their friends. Scott had his arm wrapped tightly around his boyfriend’s waist, his eyebrows etched in worry as they waited in nerve-wracking silence. Soon, there were multiple footsteps bounding down the stairs to the basement, Luke appearing before the crowd of people behind him.

 

In piled all their friends, including a man in a white coat whom Craig didn’t recognize, standing beside Jaren and John. He was shorter than the two but was built, muscles rippling under his coat as he moved to push his brown hair back. As soon as they were all situated, either on chairs, the floor, or standing, Jaren cleared his throat and smiled at everyone, curly brown hair framing his child-like features.

 

“Everyone, I'd like you to meet Kugo. He's one of the people we live with who's a certified doctor and is here to do some checkups.”

 

“To better explain what I’ll be doing, I need all of you to stay calm. It won’t help anyone if you start freaking out. Before I get started, is anyone here having problems with their eyesight?”

 

Six people raised their hands, including Tyler, Evan, Craig, and Sami. Kugo noted them before turning to a table. The doctor’s words seemed to stir everyone's nerves as they quietly waited for his instructions. Setting a bag down, he pulled out a tin can that contained small vials filled with a strange, thick liquid. He quickly pulled on some gloves and, with the help of John and Jaren, started preparing alcohol-dipped cotton swabs and different needles.

 

One by one, they were all injected a large dose of whatever medicine Kugo carried with him, his hands slow and steady as the needle punctured the skin and released the liquid. He had also added a few drops of something else to the four people with problems, causing their eyes to start to burn slightly. They were advised to simply close their eyes and not rub them, and after a few minutes, the burning faded just as quickly as it started. Soon enough, their arms were covered in a thin bandage and the doctor was disposing of the used equipment in a black trash bag.

 

“What is it that you gave us?”

 

“An antidote. They spent at least a year working on it, and even now it isn't the strongest. But it will protect you against the virus, and slightly weaken the radiation in your bloodstream.”

 

“The virus?” asked Scotty, rubbing his sore arm gently.

 

“Virus 12.” Kugo's movements stopped as he processed over his words, hands gripping the leather medical bag that carried all his equipment. Turning to face the people, he shoved his hands in his pocket and leaned slightly back on his heels, licking his dry lips before continuing.

 

“Virus 12 first started off as what we thought was just the flu. We were proven wrong when it quickly started spreading and the symptoms got worse. Patients were burning up from the inside out, practically on fire, and that isn't even the worst part. Their epithelial cells somehow stopped creating mucus, and their gastric acid burned right through their stomach. Horrendous mutations started happening, and most of those patients didn't last the hour, let alone 15 minutes. We still don't know what takes them out first, the fever or the acid.”

 

Simone made a gagging sound as she covered her mouth, her face contorted into one of horror and disgust as Chrissy rubbed her back gently. A man beside them with a black shirt and a panda print on it sat up and handed her a water bottle that was passed down by Tyler, brown eyes worried as he looked at Chrissy with concern.

 

“You gonna be okay?”

 

“Yeah, yeah I think. . thank you for the water, Anthony. .”

 

“Don't mention it.”

 

Chrissy excused herself and Simone and promptly left the room, going back upstairs to where David was resting. Marcel watched them leave with worry but turned back to face Kugo when he started talking again. His voice was deep, laced with a noticeable American accent as he faced Lui.

 

“You're the one that brought David here, correct?”

 

“Uh, yes?”

 

“May I advise you to please keep a close eye on him? And make sure he keeps taking his vitamins. He's unnaturally malnutritioned for his age, and those pills might be the only thing keeping him alive. I've advised Brock to do the same with Brian, but I thought it better if all of you heard as well.” Once he was done, Tyler got up and lead him back upstairs where he showed him his room, as the lockdown was still in process and there would be no way out of the streets. The rest sat in silence, taking the information in before they slowly dispersed. Anthony left the basement with Scotty and Marcel, their laughs echoing the stairway as Evan and Jonathan went back to their games. Craig turned to the Canadian man, opening his mouth to say _something_ , but settled for nothing as Evan turned away and practically hid by Jonathan's side.

 

He eventually left the room with Sami at his side, holding her hand in his own as she led them upstairs to the room David was in. Craig smiled at his friend upon entering, who rolled his eyes but returned the gesture, whilst Sami said something about finding a bed before leaving. He was propped up on a couple of pillows, the blankets pulled up to cover his lap and a jacket draped over his shoulders. Sitting on a chair beside him with an ankle over the opposite knee was Brock, who smiled warmly at them before standing up to greet them. His mohawk was longer than before, and brown eyes sparkled with delight.

 

Brian laid fast asleep on a small couch beside the chair Brock sat at, curled up into himself and wearing Brock's sweater. He hugged a pillow close, his pretty features relaxed as he slept. Craig leaned down to hug David gently, the Irishman sighing and hugging back, looking into the younger’s eyes as he pulled away.

 

“I’m not that weak.”

 

“But you do whine a lot.”

 

Brock couldn’t hold back a small laugh as the Irishman glared playfully, not being able to sustain his own chuckle. Craig smiled brightly as he sat at the foot of the bed, his gaze falling on the sleeping man. His gaze softened as Brock turned to look at Brian as well, smiling sadly as he leaned down to push light brown hair back. His left eye was covered by a heavily bandaged eye patch, which wrapped around his head to keep it in place. Craig looked down guiltily as he wrung his hands, tired eyes blinking behind his glasses as Brock turned his attention back to him.

 

“He’s not mad at you if that’s what you’re concerned about,” Brock informed Craig, sitting back down on the chair beside the bed, "He'd never be mad." The British man shook his head as he refused to look back up. 

 

“I’m not worried about that. I’m just. . I guess I regret everything that happened in the last year. You know, the fallout we had, the accidents. . Felix’s death. .”

 

His voice got quiet towards his last words, clearing his throat as he felt it tighten up with tears. Brock ran a hand through his messy mohawk while David looked down and picked at the blanket over his legs. After a few moments, the British man got up and headed to the window, looking out the open curtains and to the gloomy neighborhood. From where he was, the window overlooked the underground city, military-style vehicles stationed at any possible exits whilst the city went dead.

 

From behind him, Brock started talking once again, stroking Brian’s hair to stop himself from once again biting his nails. His eyes were solemn and his voice was hesitant to speak at first.

 

“We all knew from the start that living together just wasn't going to work out. There was so many of us, 20 to be exact, living in a tiny, four bedroom house. 5 of us had to practically share a room where there was barely enough space for 2 bed, let alone 2 more. That was not a house, that was. . prison.”

 

“Yeah, I guess you do have a point.”

 

Brock turned to look at Craig’s back, frowning as the younger crossed his arms and continued staring out.

 

“And what happened to Felix was an accident. There was nothing neither you nor Evan could’ve done to prevent it.”

 

Craig huffed a bitter laugh, turning his head to look at the older man out of his peripheral vision. Brock just looked at him with an almost fatherly expression which caused Craig to quickly look away and once again focus on the outside.

 

“Whatever was in that water has an effect on the radiation in his body. No one in that unit had a clue that it was contaminated, and both you and Evan throwing the blame between each other didn’t help the situation. You guys acted like freaking toddlers.”

 

“What the fuck?”

 

Brock was taken back by Craig’s words. The younger suddenly pressed against the glass as he turned to look at Brock with wide, confused eyes. It was at that moment the older realized he wasn’t talking to him, rather, to whatever was happening outside. There was a type of fear in Craig’s eyes as Brock stood quickly, David ready to slip out of bed before he was stopped by the older.

 

“David, don’t. You’re in no condition to move right now.”

 

“But-”

 

“Brock, get over here _right now_.” Craig interfered, looking down in horror. Brock was quickly at his side, at the scene he was met with caused his eyes to widen and his brows scrunch up in confusion. All three men jumped when the door was slammed open, causing Brian to wake with a bolt and look around in confusion. Tyler stood at the door with an alarmed look on his features as he joined the two men at the window.

 

Down below them, on the streets, people with bags thrown over their heads and their arms tied behind them were forced out of their homes, men in army uniforms and rifles practically beating them out. The white bags were not covered with blood, rather, stained with a black liquid thicker than blood, dripping onto the cement and dirt below in clumps. Those getting kicked out were escorted to semi trucks with large, white containers behind them, pushed into containers before being closed up with large bolts. Craig felt a sense of dread crawl up his spine as he stepped away from the window and looked at his friends.

 

They needed to get out of there.


	4. Day : 554

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so unlike OLR, I finally have this story all planned out from start to finish and holy shit im S H O O K for the future chapters to come UwU

“We can’t stay here any longer. It’s too fucking dangerous.”

 

“So what do you suggest we do? Leave and live out in that barren land? Tyler, it’s s fucking nuclear wasteland, we won’t survive two days out there.” argued Luke, glaring at the younger man who groaned and rolled his eyes.

 

“Then what do you prefer? Dying in here to something we don’t have or out there, knowing that at least you died a free man?”

 

Luke mimicked Tyler’s earlier response by rolling his eyes and crossing his arms, daggers in his eyes. Brock gripped the bridge of his nose as he sighed, looking up from where he sat as the two men glared at each other, the only thing separating them being a table. Jonathan came up besides Brock and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving the older man a lopsided, subdued grin as Brock smiled back.

 

“At least in here we’re safe! We have food, shelter, for christ’s sake Tyler, we have medicine! There’s nothing out there except bandits and people with whatever the fuck is spreading. Up there, there’s death. You’ll simply be walking into your own grave, do you understand? You’ll di-”

 

“Genay wouldn’t have wanted this.”

 

A heavy silence settled over the room as Luke let his arms drop to his side, staring at the younger man who straightened his back and glared at him.

 

“What did you fucking say. . ?”

 

“I said, Genay would not have wanted this.”

 

Before they could stop him, Luke was jumping over the table and throwing himself onto Tyler, tackling the tall man to the hard floor and punching him without hesitance.  The room erupted into yells as Luke kept punching. Jonathan grabbed ahold of Luke’s shoulders and attempted to pull the older man back, only to receive a harsh push that sent him tumbling backwards. Tyler eventually brought his leg up and kicked Luke’s stomach, sending the older man flying back into Jonathan as he stumbled to get up, blood seeping down a broken nose and cut lips. Jonathan barely got Luke to get up before Tyler threw a punch, hitting the older’s eye hard and cutting his eyebrow a bit.

 

“Tyler, stop it!” Evan yelled, anger in his voice as he and Brock started pulling the tall man back, whilst Craig and Jonathan held Luke back. Tyler growled as he flailed in their hold, glaring daggers at the man a few feet away. Luke, too, struggled in the hold that Jonathan and Craig had him in, glaring back at his brother.

 

“Jonathan, let me go! This fucker needs to know his place!”

 

“For what? Telling you the truth? You _knew_ Genay hated this place, hated being locked up. She constantly begged you to move out. She died unhappy, hoping in her last fucking moments that you’d change your mind and get her out of here so she would at least die free, but you didn’t. You killed her.”

 

“Shut up. .”

 

“And don’t even get me started with Ryan. All he is to you is a rebound after Genay died, all those promises you tell him about loving him is just bullsh-”

 

“Oh, stop acting so innocent with me! Aren’t you the one that basically broke everyone apart? You know, with you and Evan’s little fucking secret.”

 

Evan’s eyes went wide in panic as Tyler froze, staring at Luke with eyes blown wide. Jonathan fell silent as he looked away, loosening his grip slightly on Luke’s arm. Brock bit his lower lip as he looked at Evan, giving the younger man a slight look of disappointment as he looked away, not missing the way the Canadian’s head fell in shame.

 

“Exactly. Did you really think everyone would just forget what you two did? You cheated on your lovers with one another on multiple occasions, you broke apart Evan and Jonathan’s marriage, all because you couldn’t keep you dick in your fucking pants.”

 

“That’s _enough_. Craig, Jon, take Luke back upstairs, and keep him there. Tyler, you’re staying down here until we can figure something out.”

 

“What, why me? Why doesn’t he stay here?”

 

Tyler shut up as soon as Brock glared at him, pulling away and shaking his head. Taking ahold of Evan’s arm gently, the older man guided the Canadian away, who still looked down at the floor with shame in his throat. Luke walked alongside Jonathan, who gave Evan a side look before turning his head away. Craig slowed down so he walked beside Brock as the other 3 hurried up the stairs of the basement, stairs creaking with their every step.

 

“Brock?”

 

“Not now, Craig.” the older man mumbled, running his hand through his brown locks as Craig frowned and stopped him halfway up the stairs. Brock turned to look at the British man, slightly annoyed, but immediately regretting it at the look on Craig’s face.

 

“Do you think what Tyler said might be true? You know, that it might be better out there than in here?”

 

“Craig. .”

 

“Brock, I’m serious. Maybe we might really have more of a chance out there than here. Just imagine, being able to keep all the stuff you scalvaged without having to trade it in. Or having all the food you want without having it be rationed every week.”

 

The older man sighed as he crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall and thinking for a few seconds. Craig stared at him for a few seconds, also resting against the wall as he gripped the bar behind him with both hands.

 

“I don’t know. . Luke does have a point, it is much safer here than in the outside, but Tyler does too. I’d rather die a free man than a slave to the military here.”

 

“What would you choose if, you know, it came down to it?”

 

They were both silent for a few seconds before Brock sighed and tilted his head back, looking up at the bulb hanging from the ceiling.

 

“I. . don’t know. I don’t want us to split up more than before but if I had to choose. . I think I’d go with Luke. With Brian in the state he’s in, I wouldn’t want to risk him getting hurt more than he already is.”

 

“Yeah, you have a point.”

 

“And you? Who would you go with?”

 

“Tyler. Sure, I don’t agree with what he and Evan did, especially after Evan had just gotten engaged, but out there, I really think we might have a chance.” the British man confessed quietly, looking up at Brock’s somber gaze as they stayed in the quiet for a few more moments before moving up the stairs once more. At the door, Brock stopped halfway through twisting the knob, earning a confused look from the younger man behind him.

 

“I just want to say thank you for all the moments we had together. You truly changed my life, Craig.”

 

“Brock, I-”

 

“I know you’re going with him, and I won’t stop you. Just. . be careful out there,” Brock murmured, turning to give Craig a sad smile, “and don’t forget us.”

 

Craig watched Brock walk out the door, feeling a lump rise in his throat as he took a deep breath and tried holding back his emotions. He, too, slowly walked out and glanced into the living room, watching as Brock had his arms wrapped around Brian’s waist in the middle of the empty living room, face buried in the Irishman’s neck as his shoulders shook gently. Brian hummed softly, hugging the older man close as they swayed slowly. The British man felt his lower lip quiver as he headed upstairs to the spare room Lui had showed them earlier, walking in slowly and closing the door quietly behind himself.

 

Sami laid on the bed with her hair falling over her shoulders, his too big of a hoodie on her lithe frame as she simply held her arms open to him. He felt himself start to choke up as he rushed forward, crawling into bed and falling to his side, wrapping strong arms around her waist as he hid his face in her chest and finally, _finally_ broke down. He cried quietly into the hoodie whilst Sami gently stroked his hair, pressing soft kisses to his head as they laid in bed.

 

“Jon came in earlier to tell us what happened, and some people have already made up their minds. A lot seem to want to leave, while the others voted to stay. All I want you to know is that no matter what you choose, I’ll stick beside you every step of the way.”

 

He simply nodded as she held him a bit tighter, the couple soon drifting off to sleep. The next morning, Craig woke up before Sami and simply laid in bed with her, stroking her hair gently as his mind swirled with the next big step to come.

 

It was time to say goodbye.

\- - - - -

_**1 week later** _

A tired groan left chapped lips as Craig finished loading his bags into the car, stepping away and patting the dirt off his hands. Tyler slammed the trunk close as he patted the dirty metal, looking up after hearing footsteps approach. Brock approached them with a poker face, looking at the car before looking back at them.

 

“You uh, have everything you need?”

 

“Yup.” Tyler answered, digging his hands into his pockets as he looked down at his old, dirty shoes. Brock slowly nodded, rubbing the back of his head as Craig awkwardly scratched his arm.

 

“So, who’s leaving with this caravan?”

 

“Chrissy and Simone decided to come along as well after they couldn’t convince Marcel and Scotty to stay. Said that family who survived together should stick together. Jonathan is also joining us. .” Craig trailed off as he caught sight of the blue eyed man stepping out of the house, black duffle bag slung across his back and jet black hair hidden underneath a snapback. He stood outside the door, hands on Evan's waist as he smiled at the younger man and kissed his forehead. Evan's bottom lip quivered as he let out a whimper, hugging the taller close to him and swallowing back a sob.

 

“Please Jon, stay. . why can't you stay. . ?”

 

“I can't-you-you know I can't Evan. There's a possibility something might actually be out there, and if there is, I need to find-I need to be sure, to protect yo-you.” he stuttered, leaning down slightly to press a kiss against Evan's flushed cheek. The Canadian smiled slightly as he cupped his boyfriend's face and stared deep into his lover's beautiful eyes, wiping away his tears with his sleeve and grinning prettily.

 

“Then go and find our forever home, Jonathan.”

 

Jonathan grinned back and kissed him deep, wrapping his arms tight around the younger's waist and pulling him up. Evan squealed into the kiss as his face went red, pulling away and pouting.

 

Tyler watched from the corner of his eye at the two, clearing his throat and looking away back down at his mud covered boots. Brock and Craig simply shook their heads and waited for the rest to finish piling their things. Soon, everyone was saying their goodbyes and climbing into 2 different cars, waving at the rest as Tyler climbed into the driver seat for the first car and slammed shut the rickety door. Falling back into the seat, he sighed and glanced at Craig who climbed into the passenger seat beside him and gave him a lopsided grin.

 

As he turned the car on, Tyler turned to look at Brock as he patted the side of the rusty vehicle, looking back at the second car before looking up at the tall male. No words were said for long pause, any troubles between them fading into the musty air as the older simply stepped back and waved a small goodbye.

 

[(Muddy Waters - Gospel Whiskey Runners)](https://youtu.be/0Fot8BjUGx8)

 

Tyler gave him a small nod and took the car out of park, letting out a deep sigh as they slowly drove away, down the dusty streets and dilapidated buildings. People stared at them as they went by, eyes expressionless as they tires scraped against the rocky ground. When they got to the ramp leading them outside, the guards opened the discordant gate to let them out into the barren land ahead, holding nightmares and atrocious events that none of them even dared to imagine.

 

Tyler knew that once the gates closed, there was no turning back for them. He stopped the truck and looked back through the rear view mirror, blue eyes flashing with regret as he sighed heavily and continued looking back.

 

“Is it really all worth it?” he whispered, barely audible over the rumbling of the truck’s old engine. Craig gave him a side glance as he himself looked out the window into the remnants of an old city.

 

“I don’t know, Tyler. I really don’t know. .”

 

The taller male quietly watched as the heavy gate closed behind them, the loud noise ringing in his head as he swallowed down the lump forming in his throat. With a shaky sigh, he started to drive once more through bombed city, the dust and dirt spirling up into the air from the rubber tires driving through. They drove the entirety of the day, stopping once in a while to switch drivers and take quick bathroom breaks. At one point, Tyler caught Jonathan staring at him once he got out to switch seats with Lui, blue eyes piercing straight into his souls.

 

“I hope you-you’re right about all of this, Tyler. If not, you’re just-you’re leading us all into our death.”

 

Tyler hoped he was right too.


	5. Day : 571

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Im tireddd

He lost track of how much time they spent on the road. The days dragged by sluggishly, the days burning hot and the nights so cold that ice started building over the windshield and the tires as well. So cold, that Scott nearly lost his fingers due to frostbite once after someone accidentally forgot to roll the window up all the way. They managed to save them, and by midday, he was using his hand once again as if nothing had ever happened.

  


The skin, however, never quite returned to its normal tan colour.

  


In the deep cold and darkness of the night, as they slept under the starless sky, Tyler whispered to him the secrets no one else would get to hear. Even when he held Sami close, buried his face in her long hair, he'd always find himself facing the lonesome man, listening to his greatest fears and biggest flaws, secrets exchanged between each other as the long nights dragged on. He remembered the day Tyler had his arm thrown over his eyes, fur coat pulled up to his nose and tickling his cheeks. They'd been talking about their past lives and the things they regretted. Before he could say more, Tyler let out a shuddering sigh and slumped in his seat, not moving his arm.

  


“Can I tell you something?”

  


The words were tiny, barely audible, a heavy blanket of hesitance covering them. Craig couldn't help the small chuckle that left his lips as he rubbed patterns into his girlfriend's arm slowly.

  


“Is that not what we've been doing these last couple of days?”

  


“Well. . can I confess something?”

  


“Shoot.”

  


The tense silence that followed filled Craig with dread as the older man let out the slightest bit of a whimper, bringing another hand up to cover his mouth.

  


_ “I'm fucking scared.” _

  


“Tyler, I-”

  


“I know what you're gonna say but just. . listen. I'm scared. Not because of what's out there, but because of what  _ isn't _ . It's gone. Everything that made us humans, that made up our society. . it's gone. We’re gone. Sometimes, I feel like I’m fucking losing my mind and there’s absolutely no way to stop it. .”

  


Silence overcame both males as they leaned back against their seats, the only sound being that of their steady breathing and the soft hum that began soon after the first bombings. Tyler turned on his side to face Craig, hiding half of his face behind the fur that lined the hood of his coat. The younger slowly reached out, holding a hand out to his best friend, who hesitantly took it and held it tight.

  


“Whatever happens, know that I’ll be by your side every step of the way. That’s what best friends are for, right?”

  


“Right. .”

  


Craig gave his hand a gentle squeeze before pulling away, watching as the older man finally closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless slumber he so badly needed. He himself slowly started dozing off, but not before he clearly saw the shadowed outline of a person standing right outside the frozen window, their head tilted to the side and watching them with a faceless expression. 

  


His eyes opened wide as he lurched forward, staring out the window only to see no one there. Sami shifted beside him, curling more into herself as Craig swallowed back the fearful lump in his throat and decided to just keep watch, too paranoid to go back to sleep.

  


From the snow-covered grounds mere feet away, a dark and heavily cloaked figure watched the two trucks in silence, fingers tapping aimlessly against their thigh.

* * *

“Ooh damb, y’all seeing what I’m seeing? Jahn, you seeing’ this brother?”

  


“Jesus Christ, who let him on comms?” Tyler sighed as Craig’s brows scrunched up.

  


“More precisely, who let them come along? When the fuck  _ did  _ you guys get on?”

  


Over the crackle of the radio came cheeky laughter, before being replaced by loud rustling that had Craig and the rest in the truck covering their ears. With a groan of protest, Tyler grabbed the radio from the dashboard, hearing Lui’s voice break through the radio.

  


“We’re about 5 miles from the city, Ty. What do you wanna do?”

  


“We’re in need of food and water, not to mention gas and motor oil. I think half of us should go in, while the other half wait just outside the city, so we don’t risk getting ambushed.”

  


They talked it out, who would go and who would stay in the cars, making sure they were ready in case they had to make a run for it. At last, they had the groups ready. Tyler, Craig, Lui, Jonathan, John, and Jaren would go, whilst Anthony, Marcel, Scotty, Sami, Chrissy, and Simone stayed behind. They drove towards the city until they were just a few minutes out, hiding the cars behind the wreckage of a plane and grouping out in the shade the metal provided, cool against the burning dirt underneath. 

  


Jonathan was more than pissed, having been awoken from his endless sleep and now standing beside them with a solemn look on his face, dark hair hidden under a baseball cap and hands protected by fingerless gloves. Scotty helped Lui unload the weapons carried in the back of the trucks, the older man strapping his own rifle against his back and making sure they were loaded. Tyler, Craig, and Anthony had a large map laid against a rusty piece of metal, hunched over the fading chart and drawing vague lines against it with a stub of pencil they found in a bag. Chrissy helped Simone load the bags the other’s were planning on taking, whilst Sami showed Jaren and John how to properly store and sharpen the daggers they carried. 

  


Against the wavering distance, a dark figure stood completely still, watching their every movement from behind a black beak mask.

  


Soon, they had everything set, guns loaded, knives sharpened, and bags ready. Tyler stood looking at the distance, biting at his lower lip and pulling aimlessly against a loose string on his shirt. With a sigh, he turned and looked back at the group of people who awaited his orders, eyes tired and shoulders slumped. He felt the air get caught in his throat, preventing him from saying more than a forced ‘let’s go’. The taller turned on his heel and started the walk to the city, trying his best to swallow the painful lump in his throat.

  


Craig watched him go with a shake of his head, before turning towards Sami and putting his forehead against hers. They said nothing to each other, understanding what the other meant without any words. Craig brought his hand up near his chest, palm turned towards the girl as she slowly brought her own hand up and pressed her open palm against his. Their fingers aligned perfectly, warmth radiating from the other as Sami closed her eyes and sighed. Too soon they were pulling away, the blue-eyed man pressing a chaste kiss against her forehead and slowly stepping back.

“I’ll be back,” he whispered softly, watching as she grinned up at him knowingly.

  


“I know you will. You always do.” 

  


He chuckled before slowly backing up, turning around and jogging up to Lui. The other man waited with his hands stuffed inside his pockets, red bandana wrapped around his neck to stop the sun from burning his neck. Craig brought his baseball cap down further over his head, pulling at the hood of his sweater tight around his neck. They both walked in silence, catching up to the others soon after and continuing to trudge through the loose dirt that was getting into their noses and throats. 

  


John and Jaren were kids compared to the others. Jaren had pulled his turtle neck up to his face to stop the dirt from hitting his sweaty face, whilst John pulled on a dust mask he brought along. Both chased after each other, their laughter floating through the empty air as they managed to climb over abandoned cars and onto dead trees, sitting on branches and taunting the other. Craig watched in amusement as Jaren managed to latch his legs onto a branch and hang upside down, making faces at John, who laughed at him from where he stood at the foot of the oak.

  


The watched in horror as the younger slowly slid off the branch and come plummeting down to earth headfirst, his scream getting lost in the strong gust of wind that had dirt blowing into their eyes. There was a loud, painful grunt, before something,  _ someone _ , fell down.

  


Hurriedly, Craig wiped at his eyes, trying desperately to get some of the dirt off his lashes and face. When he finally opened his eyes, he let out a huge sigh of relief. Tyler, who had been standing nearby, managed to run up the tree and help John break the fall, just barely catching the younger who know laid on the ground alongside the other two, staring up at the dry branches with wide eyes. The oldest of the two kneeled on the group, panting as he tried to calm the nerve-wracking fear that ran through his veins. Blue eyes turned to the other two, anger visible in his eyes as he glared.

  


“Just what the fuck were you thinking?! Tell me, Jaren, tell me! Are you stupid or something? You could’ve been seriously hurt, worse, killed! Do you not understand the situation we’re in? None of us have any sort of medical training, and even if we did, it wouldn’t be of any help if you had cracked your head open!”

  


Jaren sat up, eyes wide in fear as his back pressed against John’s chest. Tyler’s eyes were  _ terrifying _ , looking like he was ready to murder the younger. 

  


“Tyler, I think that’s enough. He gets it.” Lui called out, walking towards the older man who seemed to get angrier by the passing second.

  


“We’re at the end of the fucking world, kid! If it weren’t for us, you’d be dead, do you hear me? Dead!!”

  


“Tyler, back off,” Lui called louder, reaching out to pull the older back. Before he could, Jonathan was already grabbing him and yanking him away from the other two, throwing him against the ground and holding him down with his elbow pressed hard against his chest.

  


“Th-That’s enough! It was just an accident. A stupid one, yes, but ju-just--you need to calm down and get yourself together, or we'll find ourselves walking back by nightfall.”

  


“Get the fuck off of me!”

  


“Not until you calm down!” Jonathan screamed back, glaring at the younger who mirrored his expression. Craig hurried over to Jaren and helped him up, looking over his face to make sure he was okay. Soon, Tyler was calming down, waiting for Jonathan to move away before trying to get up. Lui held his hand out to Tyler, who took it and heaved himself up with the other’s help. Dusting himself off, he gave the other a side look before starting to walk away.

  


“Let’s keep going.”

  


Without another word, they started walking once again. However, a dense silence fell over them, and the once lively mood succumbed into a heavy solemnity. After a few minutes, Craig felt someone pull lightly on his sweater, grabbing his attention and turning towards Jaren. The younger looked at him with an indescribable look in his eyes, hand clenched around the sleeve of his jacket and lower lip between his teeth.

  


“What’s wrong?”

  


“I. . need to tell you something. About what happened back there, at the tree. .”

  


“Jaren, it’s fine. It was an accident, I know you didn’t do it on purpose.” the older told him, wrapping his arm around the brown-haired boy’s shoulder and messing with his brown, tangled curls. The other shook his head and pushed him away, eyes looking at him with fear.

  


“It’s not about that. I saw something, Craig.”

  


“What do you mean?”

  


“When I was in that tree I. . I saw a person. I know it might sound weird but, in the distance, I could just barely make out their figure. They wore this weird mask and hat, and they were dressed in all black, with a coat that seemed to reach the ground. They looked straight at me and raised their hand in a shushing motion. That’s when I fell.”

  


The older froze in his tracks as he stared at the younger, watching as he rubbed his arm and looked down at his dirty shoes. Dirt stained 3D rested against his head, which moved with the movement of his head when he looked up at the other.

  


“You don’t believe me, do you? It might just be my imagination-”

  


“I saw them too.”

  


Now, it was Jaren’s turn to look at him with confusion in his eyes as the older looked around before quietly mumbling under his breath, eyes locked into Tyler’s back.

  


“A few nights ago, Tyler and I were talking really late. When he finally went to sleep, I was too, until I saw something outside the car window. I thought maybe I might’ve been seeing stuff but it just seemed so. . real.”

  


The brown-eyed boy swallowed the fear rising in his throat, turning to also look at the much taller man leading the way into the city, which stood silently, like a sleeping giant. He whispered quietly, fear evident in his voice as thin fingers gripped his own arm tightly.

  


“Who. . who do you think they are. . ?”

  


“I don’t really know, kid. But I know one thing’s for certain.”

  


Brown eyes met blue.

  


“We’re being followed.”


	6. Day : 571.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so sorry for the wait! summer vacation didn't treat me so kind and I honestly fell out of writing for a bit
> 
> but now im back, and I am determined to finish my stories before moving on to personal projects. thank you for sticking by for so long! <3

"We have a lot of ground to cover, so split up. Lui, You're coming with me, Jonathan, you go with Craig, and John, go with Jaren. Grab as much as you can carry and meet back here before sundown, got it?"

 

"Roger that,  _ Captain."  _ mocked Jonathan as Tyler ignored him and walked away with Lui. Craig glanced at Jaren, who mouthed  _ 'I'm okay'  _ before jogging after the bleached haired man, leaving Craig alone with the older. Slowly, the two made their way into a building beside them, it's long and lonesome shadow cooling the red dirt beneath their shoes. Pushing open the door, a chilling breeze hit them, a small victory in the long road as they pushed aside squeaking carts and fallen beams. 

 

"How's the weather been treating you?" Craig finally managed to say, trying to start a conversation rather than dwell in awkward silence. Jonathan shrugged as he kicked an empty can across the linoleum floor, the noise echoing in the empty building.

 

"Bad, I guess. I nearly- I almost froze my ass off more th-than once. John and Jaren hog all the fucking blankets for themselves." 

 

The green eyed man laughed as Jonathan smiled, going thru the isles and checking out the unmarked cans. As Jonathan threw can after can into his bag, Craig went further down the aisles, where the sunlight streaming in was dim and the air was cold against his red face. He whistled a tune as he rummaged through abandoned carts, cursing quietly when a can in his hand dropped and rolled under a shelf. Sighing, he shimmied his bag off and kneeled on the floor, bringing his face ground level and looking under the dusty shelf. 

 

On the other side, he saw a pair of dirty boots standing still, mud covering the old leather. For a second he thought they were a random pair of shoes thrown, but that quickly left his mind as soon as the shoes started moving. He felt his blood run cold as he followed the movements with his eyes. Swallowing hard, he slowly started getting up, trying to be as quiet as he could. 

 

The click of a gun behind him had him freezing in his spot, sighing deflatingly as he slowly brought his hands up, showing he was no threat as he continued kneeling on the dirty floor.

 

“Look, I am no threat to you. My friend and I just stopped by to load up on supplies. If this is your place, we’ll gladly leave. Just please, let us go.”

 

“Get up.”

 

Craig did as he was told, back still to the person as they walked towards him and grabbed his arms. He grunted as his arms were yanked back, feeling the edges of the ziptie being tied to his wrists cutting into the dry skin. He was pulled back as the person pressed the muzzle of the gun against his back and lead him towards the entrance Jonathan and him had come from. Craig was aware of the hidden figures squatting in the dark, cursing himself for not having noticed before they went in. As they reached the doors, he noticed Jonathan kneeling on the glass covered ground, glaring up at the masked person standing in front of him as blood dripped down his pale face. Looking over at Craig, he said nothing as the younger was pushed to the ground as well, hissing as the broken shards beneath him pricked through his pants.

 

“What are- What do you guys want? Is it the food, water, t-the weapons? Look, we’ll give them to you, just let go of us. I won’t- We won’t tell anyone what happened.” the masked people surrounding them said nothing as Craig looked for a possible escape, his eyes landing on a figure walking towards the building. Jonathan looked up, eyes filling with regret as they watched Tyler, Lui, Jaren and John being led in by a larger group. The rest of their friends were thrown to the ground alongside them, cursing as the glass cut into their legs. The people whispered lowly between themselves, before falling quiet as a figure with a rifle walked into the building, goggles hiding their eyes from the world and a dirty gas mask covering the rest of their face. Their footsteps echoed throughout the building, military boots weighing them down as they slowly came to a stop before them.

 

Craig held his breath as the person looked at every one of them carefully, before a muffled groan came from them. They quickly ripped off their mask and pulled up their goggles, silver coloured hair falling onto their forehead as their expression darkened.

 

“You goddamn idiots, these are the  _ wrong people! _ ” she screeched at them, hands balled up into fists as she quickly helped them up and ordered her people to untie them. Craig winced as he rubbed his wrists, red and burnt from the plastic rubbing against pale skin. Once they were freed, she turned to the masked men and women who slowly started revealing themselves, voice loud and holding authority as the rest hung their head.

 

“Don’t you think this is going unpunished. One week of rations, cut in half,” she glared at them as she was met with groans and cries of surprise, “unless you want me to make it two weeks.”

 

The woman turned to face them as her crew slowly dispersed back into the shadows or out into the hot sun, pulling on their masks and disappearing into the sleeping city. She scanned each one of their faces carefully before landing on Tyler, eyeing his towering figure and raising a brow at him when he extended a hand towards her.

 

“Tyler.”

 

“Kelly” she replied, gripping his hand and giving it a firm shake. Pulling away, she cleared her throat before jutting her chin towards the people that still lingered, mask dangling loosely from her neck as she scratched aimlessly at her palm.

 

“Sorry about them, they’re still uh, training. I thought they’d be able to go on a mission today but it’s clear that they still need some time.”

 

She continued explaining what they did and what they were doing. Craig zoned out most of it, worried about their own group still waiting for them in the outskirts, but was able to pick up bits like ‘base’ and ‘rival group’. He was snapped out of his thoughts when an ice cream-turned-military styled truck drove up the middle of the road, stopping the car as they neared the old building. Kelly motioned them to follow her as they hesitantly did, watching as another girl jumped out of the truck and strode up to them confidently, mischief clear in her brown eyes. She held her chin high as she swung her rifle over her shoulder and popped the bubble gum in her mouth.

 

“Nothing from our end except a small group hiding out under the crashed plane. Looks the same here.” she mentioned, looking towards the group of guys standing behind Kelly. The platinum blonde girl shook her head as she turned around to once again face them, pointing with her thumb back at the girl.

 

“Guys, meet Lanai, my right hand and weapon trainer. Lanai, meet Tyler and his group.” Lanai simply jutted her chin towards them in acknowledgement before Craig cut them off.

 

“Wait, you said you found a group near the plane? Are they okay, did they follow you?”

 

The brown eyed girl nodded before she pressed on the radio resting on her shoulder, asking someone how far out they were before receiving back a scratchy response that was hard to fully make out. As they waited in the cooling shade, Kelly cleared her throat to grab their attention, eyes keen and precise as Tyler looked back at her with equally ready eyes.

 

“What  _ were _ you guys doing up here? Haven’t seen a moving group in more than a year. You guys leave a base or have you just been moving ever since?”

 

Tyler turned to look at them, debating whether he should go ahead and tell her. Jonathan crossed his arms and shrugged, picking at his nails as Tyler rolled his eyes and turned back to the shorter woman.

 

“We uh. . We just left a larger base, North of here. Ogdan, it was called.”

 

“Heard it was a shitty place.” she added as the rest chuckled at just how right she was. Tyler grinned a bit as he rubbed the back of his sore neck, not missing the way Kelly’s gaze never left him. Not that he could blame her, as he was doing the exact same thing. Lui raised a brow at him before quietly turning to the rest, making a gagging noise as Jaren snorted and tried to cover his giggles with his hand. Tyler explained everything that led them there, including the shots they received from Kugo.

 

“I know that name. . is he this really buff guy that has a super faint strand of grey on his hair?” When they nodded, she gave Lanai a look before turning to them.

 

“He used to stay at our base for a while, with another man named Jay. They left one day, around six months ago, and we used to get letters from them after they found a place to stay, Ogdan. Then one day, the letters just. . stopped. I assumed maybe they left the base, and I tried to send letters in as much as I could, but no one ever responded.”

 

“They discontinued the mailing system after too many things started going missing. He’s as healthy as someone can get in there, actually lived with Jaren and John for a bit before we left.”

 

The other two nodded as she smiled at them, relief washing over her for a second before turning at the sound of vehicles approaching. Lanai gripped her rifle, before standing down and looking at Craig.

 

“The rest of your people are here.”

 

Craig was quick to walk towards the cars as the rest of his friends started piling out, sweat running down their foreheads as they finally caught a glimpse at the rest. Sami was quick to bring Craig into a hug, wrapping her arms tight around his neck as he buried his face into her shoulder and held her close to him. Soon, she pulled away and cupped his face in her hands, carefully looking at him as she caressed his cheek bone with her thumb.

 

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

 

“I’m okay,  _ we’re  _ okay, just a small scare is all. But what about you guys, did they hurt you at all?”

 

“No, they were very understanding and offered to take us back to their group. As soon as they mentioned the rest were in the city, we couldn’t say no. You guys were here, and god knows what was happening. I’m glad you’re safe.” she finished, kissing him gently as they slowly pulled away. Kelly waited a few feet away, hand on her hip as she felt Tyler come to a stop beside her, arms crossed as he looked over his friends.

 

“You’re welcome to go now, you know. We’re not keeping you hostages or anything.”

 

“Want me out of your hair already?” he teased as Kelly chuckled and shook her head.

 

“No, but I also don’t know where you guys are headed. For all I know, you could be running late for something important and all I’m doing is holding you up.”

 

Tyler made a small noise as they both fell into a comfortable silence, the sun high in the sky and beating down on them without mercy. Tyler stayed quiet, millions of thoughts running through his mind as he glanced at the shorter from the corner of his eye. She turned to look up at him, an amused grin making its way up to her lips as he grinned back and sighed tiredly.

 

“I know we just met but if you’d like, you can come back to our base and stay there for a night or two, just to refresh yourselves before you go. How does that sound?”

 

“I’d have to ask my group, but if I’m being honest, I would very much enjoy that.”

 

“I’ll leave it to you then, Treetop.” she teased as she walked back to Lanai, both easily falling into a conversation as Tyler felt a slight heat rise onto his cheeks. He was snapped out of his wonderland once Lui came up and clapped loudly in front of his face, causing him to jump back and blink owlishly down at his shorter friend. The older couldn’t help but laugh as Tyler slightly pouted before playfully punching him

 

“Asshole.”

 

“Not my problem you got your panties in a twist. Anyways, we just wanted to ask you what the next step is.”

 

“What?”

 

“What’s the plan, Tyler. Like, where are we going? God, you really haven’t gotten your dick sucked in a long time have you?” Lui continued to tease him as the taller man flushed a bright red and raised his fist to punch him, to which Lui was quick to dodge and move away from the blushing man. 

 

Jonathan gave a confused look at them as he swung his backpack over his shoulder, looking at Tyler with the same question in those deep blue eyes of his. Tyler bit his lower lip and turned to look at Kelly, who was busy looking at a map laid out on the hood of the truck, platinum blonde hair falling over her face slightly. He then turned to look at his friends, before he made up his mind.

 

“We’re going back with them to their base.”

* * *

The ride to Kelly’s base was quiet, save for the occasional small talk to bring them out of their boredom, The windows were rolled down, letting the sticky, hot air circulate the car and cool them as much as a summer breeze could. After half an hour, they slowly pulled up to a carefully built base, surrounded with heavy pillars of metal and concrete that rose into the cloudless sky. Craig stuck his head out slightly to get a better look at the walls of the place, which stretched for yards across the dry land.

 

[(Caravan Palace - Miracle)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRP9k9nlAfE)

 

Soon, they stopped in front of the gates and with a simple honk, the doors swung up and let the caravan of cars in. Tyler’s group couldn’t help the gasp that left their lips as they scrambled to the windows and stared out with wide eyes, to which Kelly giggled at before turning to look at them with a proud smile.

 

“Welcome to Amantra.”

 

The place was a beauty. The driveway that led deeper into the city was made of gravel, while the rest of the place was pavement, bright green grass sprouting up from rich soil that was carefully planted into gardens so vivid that their colours practically glowed. The houses and shops that lined the streets looked as if they were never damaged from the war, chipping paint and sparkling window panes a complete improvement from the moss covered windows back at their old place. They kept driving until they reached what looked like an office building, their chattering filling the delicious smelling air. 

 

They slowly jumped out of the cars and looked around in amazement as Kelly led them inside, slowly realizing it was far from an officer. Rather, a housing shelter with a feeling so secure and welcoming, it choked Craig up. Kelly showed them to their rooms and showers, and before they went off, told them to dress in their nicest and meet her downstairs with a wink. After a much needed shower, and with them in nice clothes they were given. They walked downstairs, buzzing with excitement, before stopping as their gaze landed on Kelly.

 

Tyler felt as if the air had been punched out of his guts, basically making heart eyes at the other as she laughed and took him by the arm. She wore some faded black jeans and a backless halter top, jacket tied around her waist and her hair thrown into a quick ponytail. She looked so casual, so  _ normal _ , that they all nearly forgot where they actually were and what they endured for years. Kelly led them outside and to a building flashing with bright lights and loud music, pulling them inside and telling them to let loose.

 

That night was one they didn’t dare forget. They danced and danced and  _ danced _ into the night, laughter filling the air as they glided across the floor, hot bodies and stray hands moving like liquid across the room. Jaren and John moved and danced and laughed like teenagers, sweat glistening on their throats and foreheads as the air became humid with their heat. 

 

No one mentioned the way Tyler and Kelly danced, the way they moved like they were meant for each other. The pieces fit perfectly and acted as if they were never missing, enjoying their time as Kelly threw her head back and laughed, giggles sounding like bells on a wedding day. Craig noticed how complete Tyler looked, so happy and content it nearly pained him to think of the secrets the man had whispered to him in the dead of night, fingers laced together in a promise never spoken. The night went by with music and chattering filling it’s empty space, the stars bright against the dark sky that haunted them for so many years. For once, it was okay to feel safe. It was okay to enjoy themselves and be happy.

 

For once, it was okay to call it home.

 

But just for once.

 


End file.
